In just a few
short weeks, my beloved and I will be heading to the first—and this year, the
only—conference of the season. Our last year was jam-packed with travel as we
attended the three different author-related events that were on our schedule.
For someone like me who really does not like the traveling part, that was just
too much. I felt as if I completely missed my summer here at
home.
This year, there
is only one conference in our plans, and it's at the end of
April.
I'm looking
forward to attending the Romantic Times Booklovers' Convention, as I always do.
This year it's being held in Kansas City, Missouri. RT is my one major
"promotional" event of the year. It's where I go to put my "gregarious
extrovert" cap on, and put my best foot forward.
I do genuinely
enjoy meeting new people, be they readers or fellow authors. I am,
however, by nature an introvert. I do not need to socialize or be with other
people on a regular basis in order to be happy. In other words, I could
blissfully spend most of my life (and I do, actually) in my writing cave, with
my computer keyboard at my fingertips and a coffee pot, bathroom and bed
nearby.
This year, as he
did last year, my husband will be going with me to RT. He really enjoyed himself
at the convention last year in Chicago. This year, he's going to "officially"
attend all the festivities. Of course, his main role will continue, as he coined
it last year, to be my "stand by and stand here" guy. I really appreciated
having his assistance, because it is very difficult for me to manage at such an
event all on my own.
It's neither
fair nor is it right for me to depend upon my acquaintances—the people I used to
room with at these things—to be there to help me get around, or get where I need
to be on time. I had been doing that up until last year, but really, that didn't
work out very well for any one. So last year David made the decision that he
should go with me and do what he could to help.
In more than one
way, Chicago's conference was a watershed event for me. My life took one of
those turns that can only be considered a complete shake-up. At first, I thought
that what happened was the worst thing ever, but I have since changed my mind
about it all, for I came away from the Windy City with two brand new best
friends. I was blessed to meet for the first time, face to face, with my fellow
Siren authors Heather Rainier and Peyton Elizabeth. Mr. Rainer accompanied his
wife, and our two husbands seemed to hit it off very well. I have no doubt that
being practically the only two men in the room had at least something to do with
that.
A few months
after that initial meeting, near the end of summer, we spent time with Ms.
Peyton and the Rainiers at a conference in Dallas where we also met another
Siren author, Corrine Davies and her husband. While I huddled with the
women and discussed all things writing it was gratifying for me to see my
beloved spending time with the men, all of whom appeared to enjoy themselves
immensely.
At RT, we will
not only have the pleasure of the company, once again, of the Rainiers and the
Davies, and Peyton Elizabeth, we will also be meeting and spending time with
Peyton's new fiancé. Yes, there will be eight of us, all told, chumming around,
wreaking havoc. While we ladies host our publisher's table in Club RT, who knows
what shenanigans those men might get up to?
Since all the
men are attending all the dinners and the parties, too, there really is no
telling what kind of mayhem may ensue when the eight of us are together. My
beloved and I don't get out much, so we tend to store up a lot of mischief and
energy, just waiting for the best time and place to let it all loose.
The way I see
it, that's just one more thing to look forward to.
Love,
Morgan
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